Julio Jones, Sean Weatherspoon won’t play in preseason opener

Two wide receivers were selected in the first six picks of the 2011 NFL Draft, but being picked early isn’t the only thing that A.J. Green and Julio Jones have in common.

They’ll also both be watching the preseason opener between the Bengals and Falcons on Thursday night. Green didn’t travel to Atlanta with his team for the joint practices and game against the Falcons because of a bruised knee and Falcons coach Mike Smith announced Tuesday that his young star receiver will also be held out of the game.

“Julio Jones has had tightness in his hamstrings and we will keep him out of the game on Thursday,” Smith said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “It is a precautionary move.”

Jones was a limited participant in Monday’s practice, which is a good sign that his absence shouldn’t escalate from precautionary to necessary as long as the team exercises patience with his return to full speed.

Smith also confirmed that linebacker Sean Weatherspoon won’t play in the game because of the dislocated finger he suffered in Monday’s practice. The coach had no further information about when Weatherspoon will be able to resume football activities, saying only that it would be based on “how quick the wound heals.”